FR3097225A1 - Automotive interior part incorporating bio-based components - Google Patents

Abstract

Vehicle interior part incorporating bio-based components. The present invention relates to an interior part of a vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle, obtained by injection of a polymer, characterized in that said part consists mainly of a transparent, translucent or white virgin thermoplastic resin, of at least one filler. mineral and at least one plant filler, said constituents conferring a plain white or translucent, or even transparent background to said part in which the shade of the mineral filler diffuses and sprinkled with particles resulting from said at least one plant filler. It also relates to a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle comprising at least one interior part according to the present invention. The invention is particularly interesting in the field of recycling organic and inorganic materials.

Description

motor vehicle interior part incorporating biosourced components

The present invention falls within the scope of polymers derived from the so-called “compounding” technique of various materials including natural materials.

It is part of a current economic, demographic and environmental context.

In recent years, several strong signals have been observed both at the level of citizens and economic powers. Alarming findings have caused global awareness. The special attention paid to our planet is thus becoming widespread.

Notions of sustainability, circular economy, LCA (life cycle analysis), recycling, traceability of materials, etc., are added to the performance and aesthetic qualities required of materials. The current trend is towards a more responsible way of creating and producing while satisfying a satisfactory perceived quality for the most demanding.

The desire to limit the footprint of man leads us to the return of a local economy, more responsible in short circuit with a desire to produce 0% waste.

The problem posed in the context of the present invention relates to the challenge relating to the surfaces of tomorrow and consists in accompanying the changes in mobility by absorbing the economic and ecological constraints in order to create a virtuous circle of the choice of starting materials (also called " sourcing”) to finishing.

By way of non-limiting example, we can cite the challenges of a city like that of Paris:

1 Vegetation of Paris : we anticipate a densification of the population in the Paris region which will be accompanied by a desire to “bring nature back” to the city in order to clean up the quality of the air in particular. This will therefore involve an increased quantity of green waste to be treated locally. The main idea is to upgrade waste that is normally incinerated in order to promote it to the rank of decorative elements with a strong identity character.

2 construction site Grand Paris Express: this is the origin of the largest tonnage of waste to be treated in the years to come, according to the organization Paprec. Due, for example, to construction sites linked to the RER, TER, construction, etc., a large quantity of earth to be “recycled” is generated. Clay soils, normally re-buried, will now become a resource in their own right and a real inspiration for materials for future mobility: the range of colors comes directly from a cross-typing of the different typologies of local soils. Revalued, they will thus be used as pigments to tint so-called “organic” plastic materials or paints. The color obtained creates a gathering effect, it is local, authentic and comes from the nature of proximity.

Clay courts also come into play in this context.

The present invention consists of a vehicle interior part produced by injection into a mold of a polymer consisting of a mixture of a thermoplastic resin, mineral additives (earth) and vegetable additives (vegetable waste), this part featuring an original appearance, consisting of a white or translucent background, where the color of the earth particles diffuses, sprinkled with vegetable particles.

Mineral additives come from land to be recycled; these are, for example, recycled clay soils from Paris and beaten earth.

These lands are dried, sieved; then there is separation of the undesirables from these lands; they will give the background color of the room.

Vegetable additives are waste from cuts, sizes, clippings and other green waste from cities. They are dried, crushed, micronized, and sieved; they will give a speckled appearance.

The thermoplastic resin is for example polypropylene (PP) or biobased PHA (i.e. not derived from petroleum, such as from cereal resources / the sugar industry, etc.), virgin, therefore translucent or white.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates or PHAs are biodegradable polyesters produced naturally by bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids.

We thus obtain a piece with an original appearance, consisting of a white or translucent background, where the color of the earth particles is diffused, sprinkled with vegetable particles.

One can initially produce main batches or “masterbatches” by the technique known under the Anglo-Saxon name of “compounding” concentrated at 20-30% of charge, using a twin-screw extruder of the type 21 mm TSA (configuration of the machine, calibration and choice of dispensers, steaming of said product compound and cleaning of the machine and peripherals).

We thus obtain granules of masterbatch that can be mixed, during the injection of the parts with the virgin thermoplastic resin (translucent).

Tests were carried out with a content ranging from 0.1% to 20% by weight (mass) of masterbatch mixed with the thermoplastic resin, ie a filler content by weight (mass) ranging from 4% to 6%.

Particularly interesting aesthetic results have been obtained by eliminating the “compounding” stage, therefore by putting the micronized then sieved filler directly into the injection press with the thermoplastic granules (PP/PHA).

This results in more visible plant fillers, i.e. larger particles.

Examples of mixtures made:

All percentages are by mass and relate to the total mass of resin(s) used. A natural element loading of 2%, for example, means that 200 g of filler has been added to 10 kg of resin(s).

A) Tests with a PHA matrix

A complete panel of variations of mass percentages of natural elements mixed with PHA was carried out, and the different combinations thus obtained were tested.

- Blue Clay AB 20% - 5% - 3.5% - 2.5% - 1%

- AV Green Clay 10% - 7.5% - 5% - 3.5% - 2.5%

- AR Pink Clay 10% - 5% - 3.5% - 2.5% - 1.5%

- Pruning wood 20% - 1%

- Grass 20% - 1% - 0.5% - 0.1%

- Rose petals 20% - 1%

- FJ Yellow Leaves 5% - 1%

- Orange Flowers FO 5% - 1%

- FM Brown Leaves 5% - 1%

B) Tests with a PP matrix
A complete panel of variations in the mass percentages of natural elements mixed with the PP was produced, and the various combinations thus obtained were also tested.

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Orange Flowers FO 0.1%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Orange Flowers FO 0.3%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Orange Flowers FO 0.5%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Yellow Leaves FJ 0.1%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Yellow Leaves FJ 0.2%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Yellow Leaves FJ 0.5%

- PP + FJ Yellow Sheets 1%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Composite Grass 0.1%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Composite Grass 0.2%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Composite Grass 0.5% + Yellow Leaves FJ 5%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Orange Flowers FO 1%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 1% + Orange Flowers FO 5%

- PP + Pink Clay AR 1% + Orange Flowers FO 1%

- PP + AR Pink Clay 1% + Rose Petals 1%

- PP + Pink Clay AR 1.5%

- PP + AR Pink Clay 1.5% + Composite Grass 0.2%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 3.5%

- PP + Blue Clay AB 3.5% + Rose Petals 1%

- PP + Grass compound 0.1%

- PP + Orange Flowers FO 1%

- PP + FM Brown Leaves 1%

- PP + Green Clay AV 7.5% + Rose Petals 1%

- PP + Green Clay AV 5% + Yellow Flowers FN 0.2%

- PP + Green Clay AV 7.5% + Brown Leaves FM 0.1%

Conclusion: All the different mixtures made have been tested and have given rise to the production of injected parts according to the invention having original specific aspects and giving satisfaction.

• un mélange coexistant de déchets végétaux et de terre
• de teneur préférentielle inférieure à 10 % en poids (additifs et non charges)
• le mélange se fait à froid se faisant préférentiellement dans un extrudeur ou directement dans une presse à injecter standards.

In summary and in a simplified version, the present invention therefore relates to an innovative product, consisting of an interior vehicle part produced by injection of a polymer consisting of a mixture of a thermoplastic resin, mineral additives (earths) and vegetable additives (vegetable waste), this piece having a particular and original aspect, consisting of a white or translucent background, where the tint of the earth particles is diffused, which gives a plain background dotted with vegetable particles. The aesthetic aspect here takes precedence over the mechanical performance and the invention relates rather to the presence of aesthetic additives than to fillers (higher content), by providing:

• a coexisting mixture of plant waste and soil
• with a preferential content of less than 10% by weight (additives and not fillers)
• the mixing is done cold, preferably in an extruder or directly in a standard injection molding machine.

The invention will be even better understood, thanks to the additional information below, which relates to preferred embodiments, given by way of non-limiting examples.

In a first embodiment, the charges are fed to a standard twin-screw extruder to obtain, at its output, so-called “masterbatch” granules. In this first process, the mineral or similar filler (for example composed of earth) and the vegetable filler (for example composed of vegetable waste) follow separate routes in which these raw materials are successively dried, crushed, micronized, sieved, and subjected to an operation of separation of undesirables. The two charges thus treated and combined are introduced in the amount of approximately 20% to 30% by weight (mass) into the aforementioned extruder with a complement of 100%, i.e. approximately 70% to 80% by weight (mass) of granules of polypropylene or bio-sourced PHA which is also added to the hopper of said extruder. At the outlet of the latter, the aforementioned granules are recovered.

These granules are then added with polypropylene or bio-sourced PHA in the hopper of an injection press to manufacture the desired molded part. The final and total content of fillers in the manufactured part must not exceed 10% by weight (mass).

In a second embodiment which can also be envisaged, the two charges referred to above are introduced at the same time, after micronization, with polymer granules (polypropylene or biosourced PHA) cold into the hopper of a conventional extruder and the whole of the mixture is gradually heated from 160°C to 180°C in steps of 5°C, in order to avoid damaging the aesthetic quality of the additives.

The mixture produced cold can also be done directly in the injection molding machine.

In any event, the total content of fillers (mineral + vegetable) in the final part is always less than 10% by weight (mass).

Thanks to the invention, a piece is obtained with an original appearance, consisting of a white or translucent background on which the tint of the earth particles is diffused, sprinkled with vegetable particles directly visible by the user on the surface of said piece.

Advantageously, a deposition, for example by spraying or overmolding with a transparent layer of transparent PP or transparent PU, can be carried out on said part, for example for protection purposes or to produce thicker, more rigid or solid parts, For example. As a thickness, for example, a few microns to a few millimeters can be provided for this overcoat.

The subject of the present invention is therefore an interior part of a vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle, obtained by injection of a polymer, characterized in that said part consists mainly of a transparent, translucent or white virgin thermoplastic resin, of at least at least one mineral filler and at least one vegetable filler, said constituents giving a plain white or translucent or even transparent background to said part in which the color of the mineral filler is diffused and sprinkled with particles from said at least one vegetable filler .

Advantageously, said part according to the invention is characterized in that the virgin thermoplastic resin is a resin or a mixture of biosourced or predominantly biosourced resins, and preferably chosen from the group formed by polyesters, in particular polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) or their derivatives, polypropylenes (PP) or their derivatives and polyethylenes (PE) or their derivatives.

In a particularly interesting way, said part is further characterized in that the resin or resins are biodegradable. This further reduces the environmental impact, in particular by facilitating the disposal of waste other than by composting or methanization.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the resin(s) result from the bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids. This sector produces special adapted and ecological resins.

According to another characteristic, the part according to the invention is characterized in that the quantity of resin(s) in the finished part is greater than 90% by weight. During the manufacture of intermediate granules, the content of resin(s) in the latter is preferably between 70% and 80% by weight.

In addition, the part according to the present invention is further characterized in that the mineral filler consists of earth to be recycled, in particular clayey earth and/or rammed earth, dried and/or sieved and/or ground and micronized into particles.

In addition, the plant load of the part according to the present invention consists of plants, preferably dried, ground, micronized and sieved plant waste and more preferably plant waste from cuts, sizes, fellings, mowing or the like.

Advantageously, the inner part according to the invention is further characterized in that it is obtained exclusively from resin(s) and that all of the mineral and vegetable fillers represent at most 10% by weight of the mixture intended to form said part to the exclusion of any other additive.

According to another aspect, said part according to the invention is characterized in that the mineral filler represents between 1% and 7.5% by weight of the mixture intended to form said part. At the same time, the aforementioned vegetable filler represents between 0.1% and 5% by weight of the mixture intended to form said part.

According to a particular embodiment, the part according to the present invention is also characterized in that it has at least one additional transparent or at least translucent outer layer, in particular at least one protective layer preferably applied by deposition, by example by spraying or by overmoulding and made, or mainly made, of a transparent or at the very least translucent plastic material, preferably of a plastic material made up, or mainly made up, of polypropylene or polyurethane.

Finally, the present invention also and naturally relates to a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least one interior part produced according to the invention.

• un mélange coexistant de déchets végétaux et de terre ;
• de teneur préférentielle inférieure à 10 % en poids ; et
• que le mélange se fait à froid se faisant préférentiellement dans un extrudeur conventionnel ou directement dans une presse à injecter classique.

In summary and in a simplified version, the present invention therefore relates to an innovative product, consisting of an interior vehicle part produced by injection of a polymer consisting of a mixture of a thermoplastic resin, mineral additives (earths) and vegetable additives (vegetable waste), this piece having a particular and original aspect, consisting of a white or translucent background, where the tint of the earth particles is diffused, which gives a plain background dotted with vegetable particles. The aesthetic aspect here takes precedence over the mechanical performance and the invention relates rather to the presence of aesthetic additives than to fillers (higher content), by providing:

• a coexisting mixture of plant waste and soil;
• preferably with a content of less than 10% by weight; And
• that the mixing is done cold, preferably done in a conventional extruder or directly in a conventional injection molding machine.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Modifications remain possible, in particular from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Claims (12)

Interior part of a vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle, obtained by injection of a polymer, characterized in that the said part consists mainly of a transparent, translucent or white virgin thermoplastic resin, of at least one mineral filler and of at least at least one plant filler, said constituents giving a plain white or translucent or even transparent background to said part in which the color of the mineral filler is diffused and sprinkled with particles from said at least one plant filler. Part according to Claim 1, characterized in that the virgin thermoplastic resin is a resin or a mixture of biosourced or predominantly biosourced resins, and preferably chosen from the group formed by polyesters, in particular polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) or their derivatives, polypropylenes (PP) or their derivatives and polyethylenes (PE) or their derivatives. Part according to Claim 2, characterized in that the resin or resins are biodegradable. Part according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the resin or resins result from the bacterial fermentation of sugars or lipids. Part according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the quantity of resin(s) in the finished part is greater than 90% by weight. Part according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the mineral filler consists of earth to be recycled, in particular clayey earth and/or rammed earth, dried and/or sieved and/or ground and micronized into particles . Part according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the plant load consists of plants, preferably dried, ground, micronized and sieved plant waste and more preferably plant waste from cuts, sizes, fellings, clippings or similar. Part according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is obtained exclusively from resin(s) and mineral and vegetable filler(s) and that all of the mineral and vegetable fillers represents at most 10% by weight of said part, excluding any other additive. Part according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the mineral filler represents between 1% and 7.5% by weight of the mixture intended to form the said part. Piece according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the vegetable filler represents between 0.1% and 5% by weight of the mixture intended to form the said piece. Part according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it has at least one additional transparent or at least translucent outer layer, in particular at least one protective layer preferably applied by deposition, for example by spraying or by overmolding and made, or mainly made, of a transparent or at the very least translucent plastic material, preferably of a plastic material consisting, or mainly consisting, of polypropylene or polyurethane. Vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least one interior part produced according to any one of Claims 1 to 11.